Affiliate site into yahoo dir?

[inthedark]

Hi all, Im currently working on a directory for commodity trading software that also conatins affiliate links...there is little original content as the site mostly consists of product links, descriptions and affiliate ads...is this the sort of thing trhat the yahoo dir would decline?

thanks
Frank

[Old Welsh Guy]

No editor wants to allow duplicate content into their directory. There is nothing whatsoever with having a site that makes it's money from affiliate marketing IF, and this is the big word, IF that site has unique content that is worthy of inclusion on its merits.

If the information on your pages is available from 101 other sites, then no self respecting editor is going to accept the site.

[Marcia]

If the information on your pages is available from 101 other sites, then no self respecting editor is going to accept the site.
That would happen with using datafeeds where it's all the same, but I wonder how about if all the text and descriptions are unique.

[Old Welsh Guy]

That is what I was saying Marcia, there is nothing wrong with selling affiliate products, and you will get into directories if your content is unique. Taking products, and writing your own product descriptions, creating product reviews pages, and plenty of unique, helpful information pages to help the visitor will set your site apart from those 101 other sites.

Putting this effort into your site will get you into dirreectories that many of the other competing affiliates are rejected from due to their unwillingness to work on their sites in the way that you will have.

In short, directories and search engines do not want duplicate pages in their index, as it serves no one. Takaing the site away from the norm, and making it full of usefulll content is going to increase the merketability of the site, and also is more likely to get conversions.

[fathom]

Hi all, Im currently working on a directory for commodity trading software that also conatins affiliate links...there is little original content as the site mostly consists of product links, descriptions and affiliate ads...is this the sort of thing trhat the yahoo dir would decline?

thanks
Frank

Rather than focusing on the 'disadvantages' what values do you bring to ensure that a listing will be accepted.

The single greatest advantage that an affiliate marketer has over a business physically selling their own products/services is... 'time'.

Realistically you do not do anything to entice a sale, no enqueries to worry about, no fax or phone orders... you pretty much just 'rake in the money'.

That said - use that extra time to research, write, add your own unique value...

No matter what the opportunity is - their is a cost associated with it - but
'your cost' is substantially less than the true merchant's costs... so invest that 'free' time in writing your original content - as opposed to worrying about being declined from Yahoo.

When you 'have it' - no worries!

[Marcia]

There can be a lot of pre-selling that's done, and it's highly advised by some to do it to encourage conversions; and it's time consuming as are a lot of other things that go into doing and maintaining an affiliate site, depending on what it is - products? seasonal? About as much as an ecom site minus the actual order processing and dealing with merchandise. The copywriting and maintenance can be involved with loads of things keeping up with all the different merchants - a hundred different things to keep up with. It depends on what type of site it is.

I've heard one put it this way "It's the hardest easy money I've ever earned."

But there's a still a difference between what's referred to by some as Type-A and Type-B affiliate sites, but this is the wrong forum for that discussion - and all that said, there are many directories that flat out will NOT take any affiliate sites, no matter what.

Before putting out $299 for Yahoo directory I'd check very carefully to see if there are any affiliate sites in the specific categories being looked at. I wanted to see whether Yahoo does now for commercial product categories, so I've just checked several categories this week and there isn't one to be found where I've checked.

[sugarrae]

Add some original content, as suggested if you want in to hand reviewed directories. Or original features - maybe a rating system, ability to leave feedback - things that make your site stand out from the other 5000 just like it.